Walter Boza

It seems that the ability and desire to create and recreate reality is rooted deep within the essence of human nature. With the help of science and technology we have been able to build theories that explain what nature has to offer us, and then apply that knowledge to modify what is ‘natural’ and create ‘artificial’ devices. These artificial creations serve different purposes such as making our lives more comfortable (i.e. electric light), improving our job performance (i.e. typewriters), having more efficient access to new scientific knowledge (i.e. microscopes and telescopes) or as entertainment/information media (i.e. television and radio).

The development of micro-electronics and computers that we have witnessed during the second half of the 20th century have raised our creating possibilities to levels never before accomplished. We are now attempting to create alternative environments that co-exist with the primary world, and that, in essence is what we tend to call ‘Virtual Reality’ (VR).

A TECHNOLOGY AND AN EXPERIENCE

The term ‘virtual’ is generally applied to all environments created by most of the new communication technology (i.e. cellular telephones, satellite communication, Internet). And in some way, they have truly modified the way we perceive and interact with our primary world. But in the strict sense of the term, ‘Virtual Reality’ does not correspond exactly with such definition.

Virtual Reality, a concept first coined by Jaron Lenier during the mid 80’s, refers to the use of specific resources of computer technology to provide its users with a computer based environment in such a way that the user actually believes and feels that he is immersed in such environment (J. Monnet 1995). This definition implies that besides being a technology VR refers also to an experience.

In order to achieve such an effect and make a VR experience as close as possible to a primary world experience, VR technology aims to provide users with two essential features: Immersion and Interactivity, where the first reflects the sensation of being inside the alternative environment, while the latter means that the environment actually changes in response to the users activity.

This kind of experience can only be carried out with certain technical specifications such as a computer large enough to handle sufficient amount of information to actually build a credible artificial reality, and with a processor fast enough to handle the interaction between the user and the ‘virtual’ environment at a speed as close as possible to real time.

But besides the computer based data handling, certain devices are to be applied to the user to achieve the immersion and interaction effects. The hardware designed to create the immersion effect include Head Mounted Displays (HDM) and Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE); they both have the objective of subtracting the users senses from the primary world (mainly sight and ear) and inserting them in the three dimensional images and sounds inside the ‘artificial’ environment. To achieve interaction the user most employ certain types of garments such as Data Gloves and Data Suits (Body Suits), that send feedback the artificial environment with information provided by the user’s movements.

The actual ‘environment’ in which users are immersed is created by software or programs with such a degree of sophistication that provides the user with images, sounds and interaction possibilities real enough to create the sensation of ‘being inside’. There are now many companies providing this service, but there seems to be no standard so far in the market.

Because of the complex nature of VR, the kind of people involved in its development range from the technical (such as engineers and programmers) to psychologists and sociologists that are trying to understand the possible effect that this type of experience could have on humans.

Due to the wide variety of products and services that may play a role in VR, companies can be classifies into three main activities: hardware suppliers, software suppliers, and research/ development.

Among the first group we must include companies such as Virtual Technologies Inc., Virtual Reality Source and Virtual Presence¹ , which provide the immersion and interaction devices (i.e. HDM’s and Data Gloves). Among the second group there are names such as Dynamic Animation Systems Inc., Immersive Systems Inc., and Prosolvia Clarus² which provide the animation and sound programs to create VR environments. In some cases these companies act as VR consultants and provide a complete service of hardware, software and programming according to each client’s requirements, as well as the specific application VR will have.

Until recently the tendency had been that VR suppliers are small companies, mainly based in the United States. A market report from Frost & Sullivan in 1994 stated that no one firm made earnings of more than $10 million during that year from VR alone (J. Monnet 1995). But major companies in the industry, such as IBM and Microsoft are likely to increase their participation and have an impact in the field (in fact, IBM has a Web Page dedicated exclusively to VR products and developments (www.austin.ibm.com/vrml)

The research and development activities are carried on mainly by scientific institutions or universities. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, P.A. and the University of Michigan among others, study VR industrial applications; NASA has been studying VR applications in outer space missions (Johnson Space Center Virtual Reality Lab as well as the ScienceSpace Program, a joint research program with the University of Houston) ³.

Due to the elevated technical requirements VR equipment tends to be high priced. This has kept VR out of reach for the consumer market, so providers of VR technology have targeted other companies that require VR immersion for specific applications.

However, new technological advances keep lowering prices of equipment and software; in fact, more powerful home computers appear at such speed in the market that prices of ‘older’ generations are pushed down, and prices for HMD have dropped from hundreds of thousands of dollars to roughly a couple of hundred (J. Monnet 1995). This process is likely to bring VR technology for applications such as home entertainment to increasingly affordable levels for the consumer market.

VR technology is being used in many fields in which immersion and interactivity are necessary to: 1) enhance an experience, 2) provide more possibilities in the designing and creating process, or 3) because human presence in the primary world represented in the VR environment is to dangerous or impossible to achieve.

There are a variety of useful applications for the technology, including:

Entertainment and recreation: many video game manufacturers have used VR principles to make their products more attractive. But there are other possibilities regarding this topic; for instance, sport events, concerts and plays could be viewed from different perspectives, providing the feeling of ‘being inside’, which could ‘enhance’ such experiences.

Design: architects, designers and engineers use VR to create models that approximate as close as possible to the final product. This could lead to cost reduction since real physical models are likely to be replaced by ‘virtual’ models. In this case, VR applications tend to belong to the ‘providing more possibilities’ in the designing and creation process. Artists also take advantage of this capability to perform new kinds of artistic expressions, such as The Virtual Dervish by Marcos Novak or the PlaceHolder by Brenda Laurel and Rachel Strickland.

Science: By the experience of ‘being there’ scientists can actually understand better some phenomenon, which is specially helpful in situations impossible to reach such as going inside molecules or simulating outer space travel. In fact, much of the development in VR has been carried out by NASA, since it would be cheaper and less dangerous to send missions with robots connected to VR systems on earth, rather than use humans.

Training and education: VR as a training tool is useful in situations in which a real experience could represent a high risk or cost. Many military and police training are actually being carried out using VR experiences, since they are close enough to the real situations, but without putting in stake trainees lives nor wasting real resources. From an educational perspective, learning experience can actually be more exciting and enriching for students if they have an immersive and interactive contact with the subject of study. This application would work not only for very skilled levels, but also for lower educational levels where students could ‘travel’ to the past or go to the rain forest using VR devices and make this experience more attractive.

Technical and economic forces are rapidly pushing forward VR applications. On one hand, faster and more powerful equipment are being developed, so the processing speed and memory required for a VR experience are becoming available at more reasonable prices. On the other hand, because of the lower prices of the equipment, more companies are using VR applications. This has led to the appearance of more suppliers and consultants of VR technology, which finally means that the industry is growing in terms of number and size of players (as mentioned, large companies such as IBM are now more willing to invest in VR technology development), as well as in the amount of money the industry handles (see Table 1).

The type of experience it provides as well as its versatility could also be considered as a factor that favors VR technology, and I would add that the human nature described in the introduction of this document is also a driving force.

So far, one of the major drawbacks for VR refer to the use of different standards by each provider, which means incompatibility between different systems. However, as major players become involved and impose specific market standards, this may be resolved.

Other factors concerning health are being used as arguments against the use of VR. First, VR experience produces a side effect called Alternate World Disorder (AWD), a feeling of nausea and sickness which comes as a result of the change of the nature of the environment, similar to the Jet Lag sensation after a flight. Another element that adds to this side effect is the fact that interactivity does not yet occur in real time speed.

But maybe even the bigger issue is the unknown social implications of VR use, such as the chance of some kinds of VR addiction.

WHERE IS VR HEADED?

Virtual Reality can still be considered a technological novelty. However, the forces that are pushing in favor of the technology seem stronger than those holding it back. The versatility of its applications and the faster and more efficient technology are key factors here: as bigger players keep stepping in and putting interest and money into VR, the technology is more likely to be successful.

Source: Fourth Wave (citing research firm J. Monnet 1995)

Baldwin, T. F., Mc Voy, D. S. and Steinfield C. (1996) Convergence: Integrating Media, Information & Communication, SAGE Publications.

Gell, M. and Cochrane P. (1996) ‘Learning and Education in an Information Society’ in W. Dutton, Information and Communication Technologies: Visions and Realities, ed. Oxford University Press, pp 251-262.

Heim, Michael (1998) Virtual Realism, New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Monnet, J. Virtual Reality: the technology and its applications. Working Paper 95/3 (1995)

Available at: http://content.rov.be/index.html

Dynamic Animation Systems Inc. Web page. Available at: http://www.d-a-s.com/

IBM RS/6000 web page. Available at: http://www.austin.ibm.com/vrml

Immersive Systems Inc. Available at: http://www.immersive.com/index.html

The VRS Journal Past Papers. Available at: http://www.vrs.org.uk/public/past.html

Virtual Presence Web page. Available at: http://www.vrweb.com/

Virtual Reality Publishing. Available at: http://www.vr-publishing.com/

Virtual Reality Source Web page. Available at: http://www.thevrsource.com/

Virtual Technologies Inc. Web page. Available at: http://www.virtex.com/

Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE)- a system for projection-room immersion (Heim 1998) which provides the user with Virtual Reality perspective. Some advantages over HDM are a wider range of mobility and field of view, as well as the avoidance of uncomfortable head gear.

Data Gloves- a sensitive device placed on the hand of the users, intended to provide access to objects and interact with the Virtual Environment.

Data Suits (Body Suits)- using the same principle as data gloves, the data suit is a sensitive garment used on the user’s body, that track movements and provide input to the computer in order to change the user’s relative position and perspective within the Virtual World.

Head Mounted Displays (HDM)- helmets or goggles which cover users eyes, providing him with the computer generated graphics that create the Virtual Environment (output device). It also serves as a tracker to send back to the computer the information on the head position, which lets the computer change perspectives on the graphics displayed (input device).

Primary world / Primary reality- refers to the world outside the computer generated world, and as opposed to Virtual Reality, implies earthbased somatic body of first-person experience (Heim 1998)

Real time- represents the simultaneity in the occurrence of an event and its perception. It is associated to the time in which events occur in the Real Environment and our senses perceive them.

Virtual world / Virtual environment- a computer created scene or environment in which provides the user with the sensation of ‘being inside’ as well as the possibility to interact by using computer controlled input-output devices.

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